More From Slideshows

Troublesome Liaisons of the Business World

After former Gen. David Petraeus resigned as director of the CIA in the wake of an extramarital affair, he said in a statementthat he had shown "extremely poor judgment."

Petraeus is hardly the first high-profile person to engage in such behavior. He's in dubious company among a number of corporate leaders who have recently been caught in compromising circumstances.

The world of business has been the source of numerous powerful and highly placed individuals who put their marriages, careers and good standing at risk – all for an extramarital dalliance. CNBC.com presents a list of powerful figures from the world of business who went outside of their marriages to seek romance, physical gratification or simple companionship.

In some cases, these people found their next spouses. In others, they found nothing but the end of a promising career and a multimillion-dollar golden parachute. Read ahead to see who they are.